Don’t “Go Green” for Your Job Search: Be an Energy Hog

I think it is fitting on Earth Day that we pay tribute to the concept of energy consumption, particularly when it comes to our own usage during our job search.

Practically every commercial you watch these days seems to be advocating a “Go Green” approach to life. In fact, this has become so prevalent that regular people are using it in their everyday speech. Energy star appliances, alternative energy sources, etc., we hear about it everywhere we go. How to use less energy seems to be the topic of choice.

That discussion is fine when it comes to the sustainability of our planet and our utility bills. But “going green” is not such a great idea when it comes to our job search.

What Go Green Means

For the average job seeker, going green in the job search means that you need to reduce your “carbon footprint.” Well fantastic! This is really easy in today’s job search environment. All you need to do is prepare an electronic resume, post it to a few job sites, email it to a few companies, and you are good to go. Right?

Wrong!

You mean that I can’t conduct an effective eco-friendly job search? For the most part, yes. There are certainly techniques that you can implement that consume less energy as you go through your search (shut off your office lights if it makes you feel better). For instance, social media and networking sites can broaden your contact base and increase your opportunities for obtaining a position.

Be an Energy Hog

For the most part, the most effective techniques in the job search require more significant energy consumption. Get over it and be a consumer. A big consumer.

Think about it. For starters, it helps to print out resumes to hand out to friends and colleagues as well as to provide hard copies to those with whom you are going to interview. Also, it is good practice to hop in your gas guzzling vehicle and put tons of miles on it. Go to networking meetings, take out friends and old colleagues to lunch, cold call companies, and conduct other activities that emit carbon into the atmosphere.

You get the picture. It does not benefit anyone (especially you) to utilize less energy during the search. So go for it. In this case, be an energy hog!

So who am I anyway? Why do I think my advice is so valuable?

My name is Stephen Van Vreede. My company is called No Stone Unturned, and I have spent 15 years on both sides of the corporate hiring experience.

The short story is that I have an MBA in Marketing from Villanova University and a dual B.S. degree in Finance & Logistics from the University of Maryland. I am a certified professional résumé writer (CPRW) and a member of the Professional Association of Résumé Writers and Career Coaches (PARW/CC). As I mentioned, I paid my dues in the corporate world eventually running a large-scale call center for a major truck rental company, and I have spent the past 7 years with No Stone Unturned, assisting job seekers in achieving their goals.

In February 2009, I launched a new group job hunting networking site: NoddlePlace.com. It is absolutely FREE to join, and you have access to everything on the site. Come check it out at NoddlePlace. You can also follow me on Twitter.